


be something you love and understand

by intertwiningwords



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel's Angelic Grace (Supernatural), Dean Winchester can sing, Dean Winchester's Birthday, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Fix-It, Fuck 15x19 and 15x20, Gen, M/M, everyone is happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:07:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28965843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intertwiningwords/pseuds/intertwiningwords
Summary: dean forgets his own birthday, after the crazy year he's had, but his family throws him a party anyway.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Kudos: 21





	be something you love and understand

**Author's Note:**

> happy 42nd birthday to dean winchester!! i literally baked him a cake like irl because i miss him so much.
> 
> to be entirely honest, i'm not fully caught upon all of spn so if there's anything that doesn't add up in this fic please just ignore it i do not care i just want them to be happy and i reject the canon of this show with my whole chest.
> 
> title and song mentioned in fic is simple man by lynard skynard
> 
> i hope you enjoy!! xo :)

“You have a very nice singing voice, Dean.”

The voice startles him from his relaxed position, reclined comfortably on the couch, headphones on. It isn’t his usual Led Zeppelin or Metallica playing from his phone, no, that’s the music he plays in the car to keep himself awake on long drives. The kind of music he plays when other people can hear it, because he still has trouble dropping his rough-and-tough facade.

Before he was so rudely interrupted, he’d been listening to a slightly softer song, Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and, without really realizing it, he’d been singing along, out loud.

Cas doesn’t pop into rooms without warning with his angel mojo anymore, but he’s still oddly stealthy. Dean often finds himself turning around and jumping in surprise when he finds Cas standing there. Then, of course, it’s followed by relief, that it’s only Cas. His Cas.

“Uh, thanks, I guess?” he replies, feeling strangely flustered by the compliment, as well as being caught in a vulnerable moment. Although, with Cas, he supposes there isn’t a way to be more vulnerable, since Cas has, like, seen his soul and shit. Besides, Cas has heard him sing before, but in the car, when he’s being loud and obnoxious on purpose, but he still feels flustered by the whole thing.

After Cas told him, and the thought still makes happiness bubble in his chest like a crushing schoolgirl, that he loved him, Dean knew he’d stop at nothing to get him back. And, with the help of Jack, Sam, and Eileen, Cas is back and good as new, and Dean had pulled him into his arms with tear-filled eyes and a smile that made his cheeks ache, telling him: “You dumbass, never do that again. Of course I love you too. You can have me, Cas. You’ve got me.”

And now, things are good. It’s only been a few months, but it’s good.

Cas smiles. “Sam said he needs you in the library,” he says. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have disturbed you.”

“S’okay,” Dean replies. “Did he say why?”

“No, he just asked me to get you.”

Well, that was odd. But whatever. Stretching with a groan, Dean’s socks pad across the floor until he’s at Cas’s side, throwing an arm around his shoulder as they walk to the library.

Dean is expecting to open the door to see Sam sitting over a book or computer, maybe with Eileen or Jack present as well, but when the door swings open, he’s immediately startled by a shout of “Happy birthday!” that makes him stumble back, but Cas is quick to catch him before he can fall on his ass.

Sitting around the wooden table are Sam, Eileen, and Jack. There are cheap streamers and balloons strung up around the room, and a lopsided cake sits on the table, a messy icing job that reads “Happy Birthday Dean!” on it in green icing (and it looks suspiciously like Jack’s handiwork).

“Huh?” is the only thing that makes it out of his mouth.

“It’s the twenty-fourth,” Cas supplies helpfully. “Surely you didn’t forget your own birthday?”

Dean absolutely had. He chuckles, then, and runs a hand down his face. “Guys, this...Wow.”

“I made the cake!” Jake announces proudly. “Well, Cas did the baking, but I iced it!”

Grinning, Dean steps closer to the table to get a better look. “You did a good job, kid.”

Sam stands, clapping Dean on the shoulder and pulling him in for a hug. Then, Eileen is pulling him in, and then Jack. And finally, Cas is back at his side, and Dean pulls him in for a quick kiss.

“Thank you,” he finally says, and he’s starting to feel a little choked up, but he pushes it down in favor of a grin.

He can’t remember the last time he’s had a birthday celebration. Birthdays weren’t exactly dad’s strong suit, if Dean’s seventeenth was anything to go by. This party certainly beats digging up graves, that’s for sure.

Jack gives him a hand-drawn card and a bundle of Snickers tied in a sloppy bow. Sam and Eileen get him some DVD boxsets of his favorite TV shows. And Cas doesn’t offer up any gift, but Dean honestly doesn’t care about the material gifts. It’s the gesture of them all here, doing this for him. And besides, Cas can always make it up to him later.

Jack had also insisted on getting numbered candles, to proudly display the number 42 on the cake, and the fact that he’s lived this long is honestly still a shock to Dean, but god, he’s grateful. Sure, it took a few trips to Hell and Purgatory and so on, but he’s alive, and he’s happy.

They sing to him, and Eileen teaches them all to sign to the song, brushing her chest twice with both hands, then tapping her middle finger to her chin, then chest. Dean signs a love-filled ‘thank you’ back to her.

Eventually, the sugar rush wears out and Jack gets sleepy, so he retires for the night, and although Dean’s been trying to stop drinking so much, he clinks a soda can against Sam and Eileen’s beers. When those two head off to sleep, it’s just Dean and Cas once again.

“Did you enjoy your party?” Cas asks.

“I loved it,” Dean replies, still grinning. He swears his face is going to ache tomorrow from how much he’s been smiling.

“Good, I’m glad.”

Cas leans in to kiss him, and he kisses back happily.

“I hope you don’t think that I forgot to get you a gift,” he mutters against Dean’s skin. “I just didn’t think it was appropriate to give it to you in front of everyone.”

Obviously, Dean’s brain goes right to sex town, destination their bedroom, ETA as soon as fucking possible, but instead, Cas stands back and puts a hand into his pocket, pulling out what looks like a necklace.

“When we first met, all those years ago, I asked you for your amulet. And yes, you protested and complained, but you gave it over to me anyway, and you haven’t worn a necklace since you gave it up,” he explains. “So, I thought it was only appropriate for me to give you another one.”

He takes Dean’s hand and places it gingerly into his palm, and when Dean looks down, his mouth falls open in surprise.

“Is this—?”

“My Grace,” Cas replies. “I want you to wear it.”

“But, without it, you…”

“Yes, I will be just a human, like you. I’ll eat, and sleep, and age,” Cas has that teary-eyed look on his face, similar to the one of when he gave his first confession, but it’s brighter and more hopeful now, like it’s the start of something rather than the end. “I can’t think of a greater privilege than growing old with you, Dean.”

And that’s when the dam breaks, all the emotions Dean’s been holding in since he opened the library door spill over. “You fuckin’ sap,” he says, laughing between the little sobs that shake his shoulders. “You’re gonna kill me, man.”

“Well, that would defeat the purpose of what I just said,” Cas replies teasingly, cradling Dean’s face in his hands. They kiss again, this time long and tender. They eventually make their way back to Dean’s bedroom, but no mind-blowing birthday sex occurs.

Instead, Dean puts the necklace over his head and feels the weight of Cas’s Grace against his chest, the pendant sitting just over his heart, and he buries his face in the crook of his partner’s neck.

“I love you,” he says.

“I love you, too,” Cas replies. “The song that you were singing earlier...Could you sing it again?”

Dean goes a bit pink, but he can’t say no to Cas. He clears his throat awkwardly. “Sure thing.”

The two of them lay back against the bed, and Cas strokes Dean’s hair as he starts to sing, soft and hesitant at first, until he falls into the rhythm and lets his eyes shut.

“Oh take your time, don't live too fast, troubles will come, and they will pass,” he sings, fingers idly playing with the hem of Cas’s shirt. “Go find a woman, and you’ll find love....And don’t forget, son, there is someone up above…”

It isn’t long until Cas has fallen asleep in his arms, and Dean follows soon after.

Dean never thought he’d make it to forty-two, but in the moments before he dozes off, he’s never been happier that he did.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed!! if you did, please consider leaving a kudos or comment bc it really makes my day :)
> 
> dean winchester deserved better and i hope this fic will suffice for the ending he deserved <3


End file.
